Turntable control means for aerial ladders



Oct. 2l, 1952 E. J. ARPs 2,614,743

TURNTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AERIAL LADDERS Filed Sept. 28, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Edmund J. Arps l VW."

Oct. 2l, 1952 E. J. ARPS TURNTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AERIAL LADDERS Filed Sept. 28, 1946 '7 Sheets-Sheerl 3 INVENroR. Edmund J. Arps /I Tm/v/SY Oct. Z1, 1952 E. J. ARPs TURNTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AERIAL LADDERS Filed Sept. 28, 1946 INVENTOR.

E. J. ARPs TURNTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AERIAL LADDERS Filed sept. 2e, 194e L Oct. 2l, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 s p M n MJ. d V w. m m d E Oct. Z1, 1952 E, 1, ARPS 2,614,743

TURNTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AERIAL LADDERS Filed Sept. 28, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 u1 HHH] f lil/5,

INVENTOR. Edmund J. Afps Vir Patented Oct. 21, v1952 2,614,743' TURNTABLE l coN'rRoL MEANS F0R Ait-LZ LADDERS lff'dmundk J; Arps; Oshkosh; W'is., assignorgf-by-"- rnesne' assignments, to Maxim M'tr Company;- Middleboro, Mass.; a corporation oilvias'sachu f s'etts" Appneatieh seetemuer 2s, 194t',s1ereme.vojoir B-Claims.

The' present invention relates to aerial ladcpers adaptedte bemountedon aA truck with means whereby a Vsin'gle-operatorv can `conveniently and safelycontr'ol'all of "the operating partsof the device. n

Anv` objecty of v'the present invention* generally stated is-t providea devicecf the character which issimple; can be easily' manufactured at 16W-.cost and Iparticularly yadapted for 'emergency u'se An objectof :myinventioiiisito provide a unitarydevicefhavingfa hydraulic pump with an operating connection toa`v gear Ain the truck transmi'ssionl'with means whereby the pump` may be driven by the truck engine when the gear shift is in neutral vand the truckclut'ch is engged.' e l l A further` obj ect of my' invention is to mount oni-a, lturnA table', a^-hydraulic motorand-rams Witlrmeans-'Whereby whenthe truck' motor is operating the-f operator can, fro'rna standing/.or sittingfpostion'on the 'turn table, operate'all of the units on thev `device hydraulically, namely;

.m'ove the ladder from a horizontal Ato -avertical' positicnand 'return, turn the turn tablerin w either 'direction36`0, extend and retract the ladder, and by the use of a manually operated crank andabrakefnrcveetheturn Itable a `fraction of an inchfffor"close-A movement ofthe free end of the-*ladder when extended;` Furthermore the brake isus'ed tano-ld tne--turntable from moving;ac'cidentall'y.-v y

To'these' andotl'ier useful ends myinve'ntion consists of parts; combinationsof parts-r or their equivalents "and inode of operation as hereinafter described :and claimed 'an-d shown in the accompanying drawings in which: -Figgi 1` isa side elevational view of'myldevice arranged to" be `mounted on the chassis of a truck showingfonly fractions of the three sections 'of Athe ladder and 'the sections retracted'.

Fig.: 2 'isa topview of vthe device shown in FigureA 1 f" v Fig.. 3.is a front end vievv of the'de'vi'ce shown miti-gares 1 anuz.'y f

` Fig." 4 is" 'a detailed'ViewVr of the turn table ni'unting `on""tl1"e'fr'am'e Whichfis'adapted to be attach'ed'tothe chassis ofthe vtruck'.

e frame and platforni'is ating meter showing 'itsgear'freutetiea'lpattsfm section. v

the preferred driving-connection ltcitfre ieng'ine As-thus' illus'tratedg-I reference l'i-a'r'.'aterfY ignatesrv thev Iturntable 'and't it v designate-treats entirety the' hydraulicmbtor adaptdf-tturn fre turn tablein either direction.. Referente 'eh acter F' designatesL in its entire'tyf'th'cnft l pedestal. Ref'erence-euaracteri @designates in its entirety the' four'vvay"controlfvitlviV designates in their entiret'ies"tl`1e"'hydralli r` adapted to raise and 'lotvrjtheladdrs 5J ignetee mits entiretythe-hydracueframadapted Fie-.5' te e `frtenente 'section vthrough the three ladder uni'tsand' taken on lines' 5-'-5 of f Fige operated*nydraulieauy'under-manual lcent cept the manuel' means fry optie-nelly teminethe platform ef'funitcA. I'meunjt' e hydra' ie pump B en unita ine'eeentriepestion'w the'tufn table (see nieuwe): Membeffnhas' e. downwardly' ertencine'ehft'e witha'fleibie Coupling '10;' this 'shaft' extentie""inte tei'hes'ie 3 base II as illustrated and concentric with member B.

The transmission of trucks on which my device is mounted is provided with a clutch conn trolled drive shaft having an operating connection to shaft I8.A This driving means is generally somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 4.

Thus when the truck is being driven to a fire, the jaw clutch may be disengaged and then after arriving at the fire the jaw clutch members may be engaged, the transmission thrown into neutral and the transmission clutch engaged so pump B will be driven by the engine and because of the position of members B and C the driving mechanism will not be influenced by the position of the platform which is in the drawing designated by reference numeral 25. The mounting of member 25 on member II is as follows:

A ring 26 is securely mounted on members Ii having external gear teeth 21 and an inwardly extending annular member 28 being suitably grooved for a large number of hardened steel balls 29-29. A ring 36 is secured to member 25 and a ring 3| is secured to ring 35, these rings also having grooves into which balls 29 fit. Thus the platform is free tov turn on member 28.

I will now describe how motor E operates to turn the platform or turntable 25 on frame II. The motor is mounted on the platform (see Figures 1, 2 and 3). A housing 32 is mounted on the platform having therein a gear reduction which formsan operating connection to shaft 35 from the motor by means of a shaft 33 and a flexible coupling 34. Shaft 35 is journaled in a bearing 36 and having secured to its lower end a pinion 31. A shaft 38 is rotatably mounted in housings 32 and 5I and has secured thereto a gear 3Q, the teeth of which mesh the teeth of pinion 3l.

A pinion 40 is rotatably mounted on shaft 38. I spline mount a jaw clutch member I on shaft 38 having a groove 42 and an arm 43 which is forked and adapted to rotatably engage the groove. Arm 43 is rigidly mounted to a shaft Member 4| is provided with jaws 45 on its upper end adapted to mesh jaws in the lower end of pinion 40; thus when member 4I is in its raised position, pinion 4D will be turned by shaft 38 and when member 4| isl lowered, pinion 4I) will be released. Shaft 44 has secured to its protruding end a suitable connection 46 to a manually operated shifting member 41 on member F (see Figure 8) whereby the operator can conveniently disconnect motor E from gear ring 26.

A shaft 53 is secured to housing member 5i and a pinion 52 is rotatably mounted on this shaft, the teeth of which mesh the teeth of k pinion 40 and the teeth of ring 26. Thus it will be seen that when jaw clutch member 4I is raised as shown in Figure 13, pinion 52 will be caused to travel around ring 26 and carry the platform with it in either direction.

Assembly K generally comprises three ladder sections, each comprising pairs of rail members 55, S and 51. Members 55 are at their front ends secured to brackets 58-58 which are in turn pivoted to a sub-frame member 54 as at 59. Two transversely spaced hydraulic cylinders I-I are plvoted at their lower ends to sub-frame 54 as at 60-60. Each cylinder has a piston (see dotted lines) with protruding piston rods 6I6|, the enlarged ends of which are pivoted to brackets 58 as at 64, so when the pistons in members H move upwardly and rearwardly member K will be raised on pivot 53, the arrangements being such as will make it possible to raise member K to a vertical position.

Member K includes three ladder sections I, 2 and 3, each pair of side rails of these sections are connected together by means of suitably spaced rungs 65, 66 and 61. Members 66 are secured to members 56 by means of a shaft 63 and nuts 1i! and members 61 are secured to members 55 in a similar manner. Rollers 1| are rotatably mounted on shafts 68 for reducing the friction between the ladder sections when being extended and retracted, the sections being held from coining apart by the overlapping flanges 13 of members 55, 56 and 51.

It will be seen that rungs -66 and 61 are detachable. Rungs -65 however are permanently secured to the side bars of the section by electric welding.

I will now describe the mechanism used for extending and retracting the ladder. A cylinder J is mounted on the lower or number I ladder section. On the forward end of this cylinder I rotatably mount two cable pulleys 8|] and 8|. Member J is provided with a piston (shown in dotted lines) having a piston rod 82 with a pulley block 83 secured to its protruding end. In this pulley blockl rotatably mount cable pulleys 84 and 85 and on the end of the block I rotatably mount pulleys 35 and 81. By referring to Figure 6 it will be seen that cable 88 is anchored as at 39, either to member J or the number I ladder section. The cable first passes around cable pulley 84, then around cable pulley 80 then around cable pulley 65 and'then around cable pulley 8 I. v N

From pulley BI the cable extends to and around a pulley which is anchored to the rear end of ladder section numberl I, from pulley 95 the cable extends to and around pulley 96, then to and around pulley 8U, then around a pulley 5|, to and around pulley 66, thento and around pulley S2, then to and around pulley 81 and then to an anchor 95. Pulleys 9U, 9| and :92 and anchor 93 are preferably mounted on the number I ladder section. The cable that passes from pulley 95 to pulley S6 is anchored to the number 2 ladder section as at 94.

Thus it will be seen that when the pulley block 83 is moved rearwardly, anchor 94 will be moved rearwardly and move number 2 ladder section rearwardly. The arrangement of pulleys being such as will cause ladder section number 2 to travel considerably faster than the movement of pulley block 83 or preferably at a ratio of 4 to 1 so number 2 ladder section may be moved from a retracted position to its full extended position.

It will be noted that the number 2 ladder section is positively moved in either direction by the movement of the piston in the cylinder. Connections and valves being provided whereby 011 pressure may be fed into either end of the cylinder and discharged from either end as will hereinafter appear.

Applicants device may be provided with two or three ladder sections. When it is provided with three ladder sections (as illustrated) 'a 'cable pulley Ii is rotatably mounted on the rear end of number 2 ladder section and a cable pulley |82 is rotatably mounted on the forward end of this ladder section. An anchor |03 is secured to ladder section number I near its rear end and an anchor |04 is secured to ladder section number 3 near its forward end. A wire ca ble |05 extends from anchor |03'to and around pulley |0I v'aanagrar Y andisssecuredftc'ancho twg-"thiscablerthenfextends-'tof and-"around 'cable-'pulley-IUZ andfthento anchor lr03?. 1 f

lllii-,hy this':arrangementof-'pulleys and anchors;- clearly-ladfder section rrunfll-)ert'Z ma-yf beA the :same lengthifas section number Z'Eandither'efore because ott-the arrangement offpullfeysl and anchorsf the t ravereif-ladderY section number 3fwill'fbeth'e1same asthe--travelof ladder section number" 2; as; clearly indicated in Figures 6 and 7.

I) willi nowf. describe myhydraulic controlling mean'`swhicl1t includesag control '-pe'des'taliEa con'- necessary connectingetub'es and rods Gontrolpe'destal'f comprises alhollowstandard desireitcffmovelther freeiendcciithenladdei:ftransv verselyravery shortzdistanceameasure'dibyinches;

forcobvious reasons;- v.Fon-this `pnrposerfl supply alhand brake lforiliol'ding. theiplatfornitfromfmovcntaway as atl |f-2`8"for'=afpurpose which-will here inaf-teriappear: y p

A* control` lever |29' is securedito shaft' I 25,2 a; lever?4 |30 iis-secured toy ai tube l"I 3 I' and lever |321 isrsecuredto'; `outer-tube i |533, the'tliree #levers1 ex'- tendingthrough slots-v in member IZZlQand--tothe right-as illustrated; the'lendofeacli*lever having aballhandrgrip as illustrated. Shaft I2'5"has secured-to ^its=1ower-end adjacent 'bearing |126, a

.soi whenileverrl 29` is-ipulled forwardV orfto'ward :the operator'- oilfpressure=-will flow-throughftube |1311 (see ,Figurer l5 )'f-andz i-ntfrthef` lower end offFcyl--l inders"H-andoutfoffthese cylinders as at |39 into return tube IAUfth-useto,rraisefthe, ladder toward a .vertical position, the valve beingl arranged so When-lever |291*is'-pushedfrearward"the iiowof oil will be reversed so as to lowerlffthe ladder sections. The center"valves in'imemberyG has a mechanical connection IGI rto.1ever |30 through tube"|3'I,1xthe valve being arrangedsc whenlever l'lllis pushed rearward 'oilpressure willllow :into the lfrontgendcf cylinder J through tube |143" as atAMandback into the valve from theLrear; end of-lcylind`e ras at I`4`5to the valve through tube uit.;g thusto` extend theV ladder; VTo retract-@the ladder) l.lever IBIIs pulled forward.;

To turn-)the plat`formr leverv |32 is,.moyed forward whereby motion willj `beimpartedgto, .tube

Gvthroughamechanical'connection IM so. oilwill .ilow to ;motor EY soytlie platform lwill beturned clockwisejand by movingjthi's. lever rearward the v:motor-Zwillbe turned so, aste-turn ft'liefplatform antirclockwise. The .flow yof'oil to member E being through pipes |5'3` and |54.

Hydraulic pump B has a suction connection |50 from tank I5I and a discharge pipe |52 to 1 the three valves of member G. The usual relief ing and a crank for turning the vplatform: ually.

A crank. I Sill is :d'etach'ablyy mounted son aishaft' Iilv, theshaft being;l j'ournalled oir-.memberiiIE-ZII and having oni its innerfsendf a \pi'niorrgI621y which meshes a1 gear'` I'3'.;mountedi:on.-.shattafld; partitionl '.I 65 is-:sprovi'ded: 1into whichctubet-| 33and: shaft .IIIM-.are rotatably;mounted.,A .Aibrakerdrumz I 6B isfmountedponshaft u I'6.4.\. hand leverfv IB'I;

is mounted son a: shaft;` I 68;.. shaft-z I 618 isfsu'rtabllyvv connected to;`v abraketbanrt. I '639i wherebyrby-:pushe ingi lever:l I 61 4 ttor the:` righinathe brakeewill beten-r,-

gagednzandshaftulcheld from turning: VVlilrene the; brake is engagedxity-'lsz desired to.; ;hold::.,tuhe

ISZSfrOmturning-,so as .to'prevent operating-the hydraulicmotor for turning the platforms; This is accomplished by'providing-the: hubsof r member Ir42swith an'iarmflr'IIl; A .member g I'II is `fpi'votednear: its center: as rat. Ir'|,-2\tomemberf|-2 0, one:end' havinga :depression Fl'ggthewother end having; a slot: H41. Axpin: |15. is': securedito. lever-UI tfhwliich' is;:slidably=,engaged byyslot I'Mi, n

Thus:;.it; will. vbe v,seen :that when: lever; I 61:5 is moved,v to:v the right depression' I 13:5 wilt; engage arm I'I, thus holding lever |32-:in:itssneutral positiony while;- thev brakes 1f are;v engaged;A Shaft I'Sris journaledvin; a bearinglio andihas-secnred' to itsflower, renda pinion: Ifl'l, tl'risfpinion :hassan operating: connection with'vv gear". teeth;v 21,5` by meansof agearzl 'IBarranged ,to reduceithe mowee mentofringgearz 2 i-:relative to cra-nk: ,i .681: y

' Thus# it a will be seen that-,iny addition ftp;A the.

hydraulic means forr;turning; the platform fichar-e provided means for turning this platform;manually Vand ,for holding; theplatiorm from;- turning by means of'.v a; ymanually; operated; brake; ,andr

meanszwhereby wheniithe xbrakefis engaged? lever .ISZ'Lwil-L be :lockedlin :a neutral, position-.v

Thefside'rai-'lsuof the ladder-sections are each built up oiJazpai-rriof preiormedasectionsf; 56

and 5.11:. Compression strips aref electric weldedito these sections after whichfthersections are: electricA welded-'together `as a-t- I8 I Y, u

' Referringtto:Figurefl, hand-.railsd 82,.'arerigid: lynsccuredpto thefsiderailsfof the ladderztsections by means of vertical .and diagonal; braces; I 8-3 and mit; eachA ladder section is..provided:withia suitable number oil` cross: braces .f i, Thu-sgeach ladder sectionk iszonei solidW integral-unit of 'exa tremestrength and rigidity,.the handcrailsf'iorme ing -a truss: Members |82; |832and1|184'iare1not shown in Figur-e5 inorder. tofsimpliiy:theirdraw-z` Clearly many minor-y detailedicliangesemay be made without departing fromV the. spirit andscope of my invention, the major objects of which are to supply a turntable capable of be# ing moved around a circle of 360; to supply a hydraulic pump and' driving means from the transmission of the truck which will not interfere with the turning of the turntable; to supplyr hydraulic means for raising and lowering the ladder 'unit from a horizontal to a vertical posi- -tion and to supply hydraulic means for extending and retracting the ladder sections; all such operations being associated with separate levers within reach of the operator whose position is on the platform and to supply a unit which can be rconveniently mounted on the chassis frame of the truck and operatively connected to the engine of the truck.

It will be understood .that mechanical means may be used for locking sections two andrthree against retracting while the ladder is being used.-

Having thus shown and described my invention I claim.:

1. In a re apparatus a chassis, a ladder supporting turn table mounted on thev chassis for rotation, power means operable to eiect rotation of the table on the chassis,'control mechanism movable from a neutral position to an opferative position to initiate operation of the power means, a brake operable to lock the table against rotation, a handle for effecting operation ol' the brake, a block movable into andout of a position to intercept and block movement of the control mechanism from its neutral to its operative position, and means connected to the brake handle and operable thereby on applicacation of the brake'to move the block into blocking position.

2. A fire apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chassis has a ring gear on it, a pinion is mounted on the turn table in mesh with a reduction gear which in turn is in mesh with the ring gear, there is a pinion shaft fast to the pinion, there is mechanically operable means for effecting rotation of the pinion shait and hence the tableand the brake is applied to the pinion shaft.

3. A fire apparatus according to claim l, in which the chassis has a ring gear, a pinion shaft is mounted onv the table and has fast thereto a pinion which meshes with a reduction gear which in turn is in mesh with the ring gear, a brake drum is made fast to the pinion shaft, a brake band surrounds the brake drum and operation of the band is effected by said brake handle.

4. In a iire apparatus, a chassis, a ladder supporting turn table mounted onthe chassis, a ring gear fast to the chassis, a pair of pinions mounted on the table, one of which is in mesh with the ring gear and the otherv of .which is in mesh with a reduction gear which in turn meshes with the ringgear, power means for effecting rotation of vone of said pinions, mechanical means for effecting rotation of the other of said pinions, control mechanism movable from a neutral position to an operative position to initiate operation or the power means, a brake operable to lock the mechanically operated pinion against rotation, a handle for effecting operation of the brake, a block movable into and out 5. In a re apparatus according'to claim 4, wherein the power means includes a valve-block containing a valve for controlling the power means, the control mechanism includes a shaft mounted on the table for rotation from a neutral position to an operative position, there is a lever for effecting rotation of the shaft, a linkoperably connects the shaft to the valve in the valveblockand said block intercepts rotation of the shaft. y y,

6. In a ilre apparatus a chassis, a ladder supporting turn table mounted on the chassis, a

ring gear fast to the chassis, two pinions mounted on the turn table, one of which is in mesh with the ring gear and the other of which is in mesh with a reduction gear, the latter being in mesh with the ring gear, each pinion having a vpinion shaft, a power operated motor connected to the pinion shaft of said one pinion for eiecting ro-` tation` thereof, a valve-block and Valve for controlling operation of the power motor, a control shaft on thetable operably connected to the valve, means-for effecting movement of the control shaft from a neutral position to an operable position to initiate operation of the power motor, manually operable mechanism on the table for eiecting rotation of said second pinion shaft, a brake drum on said second pinion shaft, a brake band surrounds the brake drum, a brake lever for effecting operation` of the band to constrict itv on thedrum to makethe second pinion shaft fast against rotation, a tooth on the control shaft,'a latch engageable with saidtooth, and means connecting the latch to the brake lever and operable thereby to Vengage thelatch with the tooth upon application of the brakei EIDMUND J. ARPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

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